Process of recovering potash from potassium-iron silicates.



GOT/KEANE, OI! BALTXINIORE, MAR fLilml'J), A CUREOxtiiLLOlI O1?Specification of Letters Patent.

Lililllid.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may conce n:

Be it known that I, HARWZ P. Bassnrr, a c1t1zen of the United States,residing at Catonsmlle, in the county of Baltimore and State ofMaryland, have invented certain new and useful improvements in.Processes of Recovering Potash irom lih'itassium-lron Silicates, ofwhich the following is a i-- fication.

This invention relates to the treatment of naturally occurring potassiumiron silicates which contain potassium in an insoluble form and hasparticular reference to a process of recovering potash from. green sendmarl and particularly from green sand marl consisting wholly orprincipally of glam conit-e.

Feldspathic rock containing potassium. in the form of potassium aluminumsilicate, can be decomposed and the potassium formed into water solubleform by h h with sodium acid sulfate and sodium chlorid or sodium acidsulfate, sodium chlorid and a reducing agent such as carbon. The con--version of the potassium in potassium alu minum silicates in the mannerreferred to has been considered to be dependent upon the presenceof'alumini'un in the potassium aluminum silicates and such processeshave been. generally considered to be unadapted to the trcatn'ient ofpotassium iron compounds such as glauconite containing little or noaluminum. Tn fact the operation of reagents upon'potassium ironsilicates and potassium aluminum silicates- (lifl'crs so radically thatthe 1 Lawrence Smith method and other commonly employed methods ofdetermining: potash in feldspar and similar potassium aluminum silicatesarc not-applicable to determine the potassium content of potassium ironsilicates.

Now' I have discovered that, contrary to the well established view ofchemists familiar with the art, the potassium content ofgrcen sand marland particularly green sand marl consisting principally or substantiallywholly of glauconite, can be transformed into water soluble form heheating such material to a reacting temperature with sodium acid sulfateand sodium chlorid, the reaction being preferably carricd out in thepresence oi a reducing agent. Where the reducing agent is used it is emplayed in such quantity as to reduce only a part of the sulfate present.

. added to the original-n11 c tin AR CHEMICAL man ELAND.

SEELIGBJIES.

Patented Nos. 5, 31915 Application filed. 'ficliruary 19, His. ficriallilo Mil/I78.

pre. Y c; agent when used being employed in suiiicient quantity to re-The reducshe torn-'1 of coke. i 'e in the proporions of to three partsof colic to forty parts of the gre i sand marl. insteadof mixing; theredu mg agent with thegreen sand marl the heating; may be conducted in areducing flame, the process being; practised i'zndcr the most Favorableconditionally heating? the green sand marl sodium acid sulfate andsodium chloridin the presence of suiticient reducing agent to reduce apart only of the suit-ate prcsmit to a suliid.

in my investigations of green sand marl from the principal dent s in NewJersey duce only a part of the inc; agent may he carbon 5 that variableamo'rmts oi. iron oaids clay and silt in a very fine condition andlighter than the material itself, are associated with the glauconiteiThere also found that there are associated u ith the glauconitcin thesand relatively large particles which are ordinarilv crystalline andconsist for the most part of quartz and contain little or no potassium.ihesc larger particles may be removed by passing the sand through atwenty or forty mesh sieve. preferably a twenty mesh sieve." i

l haw found that, in the practice of my process, I can increase the.percentage of potassium iron silicates in the sand by washing orfloating away the. fine and light particles of iron oxide. silt and ch13and that the percentage of such silicatesmay hestill fun ther increasedby screening: out the relatively large partirlcs containing! little orno potassium.

In the preferred practice of my process after washing' or floating" awaythe fine or light particles and screening: out the relatively largeparticles the material is prefer-- ably dried by artificial heat, mixedwith sodium acid sulfate, sodimn chlorid and coke as hereinalrovc setforth and heated. to

a reacting), temperature, preferably to a 30 and in Delaware and i. andhave found and is leached with water or the mass While hot may bedumpeddirectly into Water.

potassium salts are then The Water dissolves the sodium and potassiumsalts, the latter being present in the form of potassium sulfate. Thesodium and separated, preferably by crystallization.

While I have described in detail the preferred practice of my process itis to he 15 understood that the reaction temperature,

; the proportions of reagents and the details of procedure may he variedWithout departurefrom the spirit of my invention or the scope of theappended claims.

'Havin'g described my invention, I claim L-The process of treating greensand marl consisting principally of glauconite which consists in heatinga mixture thereof with sodium acid sulfate and sodium chlorid to areactingtemperature in the presence of a reducing agent, the reducingagent being i employed in such quantity as to reduce only a portion ofthe sulfate present and separating the water soluble portion of theresulting mixture from the remaining portion. .2. The process oftreating potassium iron 1,1ee,eea

silicates containing potassium in an i-nsolu ble form, which consists inheating a mixture thereof with sodium acid sulfategsodium chlorid and areducing agent to '51 .re acting temperature, the reducing agent beingemployed in such quantity as to reduce only a portion of the sulfatepresent and separating the Water soluble portion of the resultingmixture to the remaining portion.

3. The process of treating green sand marl which consists in Washing outand thereby removing the finer and lighter particles thereof; screeningout and thereby removing the larger particles which consistprincipally'of quartz, drying the resulting concentrates, mixing sodiuma'cid sulfate and sodium chloridtherewith, heating the :mix-

ture to a dull red heat in the presence of a reducing agent, thereducing agent being employed in such quantity as toreduce'only aportion of the sulfate present to sulfid v and separating the Watersoluble portion of the resulting mass from the remaining portion. :3

In testimony Whereof-Iafiix my'signature I in presence of two Witnesses.

HARRY P. BASSETT. Witnesses: i

C. L. PARKER, JAMEs L. CRAWFORD.

